On armored vehicles and tanks, the phase for transporting the munition from the storage area to the gun is carried out while the vehicle is moving, possibly on a rugged terrain, which generates vibrations and shocks. Consequently, a significant difficulty encountered in this phase is correctly holding the munition while it is brought to the gun. This hold should be sufficiently rigid in order to ensure:                safety of the members of the crew who are potentially in close proximity to the loading area;        observance of the integrity and the preservation of the physical properties and the performances of the munition;        easy, secure and smooth insertion of the munition into the chamber of the gun.        
Properly holding the munition while it is brought towards the gun most often leads to the design of devices for transporting the munition consisting of the sheath on which the munition is laid, the sheath being provided with a telescopic mechanism. This solution includes several drawbacks:                as the munition lies in a natural position in the sheath, its longitudinal axis is not aligned on the axis of the gun, which proves to be a problem for inserting it into the chamber of the gun, in particular with munitions for which the shape of the projectile comprises a sharp edge that forms an obstacle at the inlet of the chamber;        the sheath having an inevitable bulk in height over the whole length of the munition, it potentially interferes with the mechanism of the storage magazine, which generates additional technical constraints. These constraints are typically solved either by equipping each munition housing with an individual tube, which increases the mass of the equipment, or by making the sheath in the form of a more complex retractable mechanism;        upon loading under severe driving conditions, the munition, as it is not firmly maintained during the transport phase, moves in the vertical plane.        
Other devices for gripping the munition exist.
Document DE2330889 A1 discloses a system for loading munitions with a gripper device provided with pivotally mounted jaws. The munition is borne at two locations with rollers and taken by the gripper device at the base of the case. The drawback of this system is that the munition simply rests on the rollers and is taken in a location outside the center of gravity. During the loading under severe driving conditions, as the munition is not firmly held during the transport phase, it may move in the vertical plane.
Document WO 2006/051425 A2 discloses a device for handling weapons aiming at transporting and loading weapons on an airplane or other vehicles. The device is provided with a clamp that comprises rollers intended to be positioned on the periphery of the weapon to be held. The weapon clamp further comprises a removable link adapted for moving at least one of the rollers from a first position wherein the weapon is held in position by contact with the rollers towards a second position wherein the roller releases the weapon, allowing it to move in a transverse direction. This system has the drawback that the gripping operation is carried out in the magazine of munitions and requires one clamp for each stored munition. Further, the clamp system has the disadvantage that it does not allow sliding of the munition along a longitudinal movement required for transporting a munition from the magazine to the chamber of the gun.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,448 B1 discloses a device for loading shells in a mortar through the muzzle. This device comprises means for raising the shell moving linearly by means of guides and jaws gripping its periphery. Upon arriving at the muzzle, the shell is translated by means of a transfer device so as to be positioned in the axis of the mortar and inserted into the muzzle of the latter.